SCOTLAND’S first national chief constable promised yesterday that the shake-up would turn up the heat on the the country’s crime bosses.

Stephen House dismissed fears that the new single body would struggle to get to grips with organised gangs while trying to unite eight forces and hit tough savings targets.

And he claimed the all-Scotland police service would mean a seamless assault on the Mr Bigs.

House vowed: “We will be remorseless and relentless in our pursuit of organised criminality in all its forms.”

The Daily Record revealed on Saturday that police analysts have tracked 274 gangs in Scotland who “employ” 3663 people in an industry turning over £1billion-a-year.

Shady criminal networks muscle in on everything from drugs and human trafficking to security businesses.

House said that the pioneering mapping database, which flags up the most influential criminals, had already given them a head start.

He believes the unified set-up will improve communications as police bid to ensure that crime gangs don’t benefit from lucrative public sector work.

He said: “We need to work with all the public sector agencies so that crime gangs in apparently legitimate organisations don’t get contracts.

“We are denying tens of millions of pounds worth of contracts to organised crime every year in Scotland, but we need to improve upon that.

“There is already a national approach to this but it will allow even more seamless working against organised crime.”

The former Strathclyde Police chief constable will lead the new united force of 17,234 officers.

Speaking at the national police training college at Tulliallan, House promised a new dawn for policing in Scotland.

He said: “Tackling crime, keeping people safe and building confidence will be at the centre of everything the new service in Scotland stands for.

“I hope my actions will prove that I will be a chief constable for the whole of Scotland and not just for parts of Scotland.”

Vic Emery, head of the new Scottish Police Authority who will oversee the national service, said: “It will be the job of the SPA to demonstrate that a quality police service scan be maintained and delivered for less cost.

“The more efficient we make the organisation of policing, the more officers and staff can do for us as citizens.”